Hempcrete blocks survive West Australian bushfires

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We have had a couple of major fires in Western Australia lately. One interesting factor has emerged in the wake of these fires. Hempcrete blocks, which were manufactured before Christmas, were untouched by the blaze. In tests, a blowtorch has been applied to blocks and they have failed to ignite but the manufacturer was still surprised to find that, when a bushfire swept through his yard, the fires had not affected stored hempcrete blocks, although the pallets they were stored on were lost. Hemp is a product of the cannabis plant but, unlike marijuana, has no psychoactive properties. It has a number of uses including clothing, material, agricultural products, and construction. The blocks are made from the woody centre of the stalk, together with lime, water and other materials. They take around eight weeks to cure properly. Those involved in the construction of the blocks believe they would be the perfect solution to building in bushfire-prone areas. The blocks are environmentally sustainable, have good insulation and acoustic properties, won’t support mould and actually absorb carbon. There is some prejudice against them because of their links with marijuana but, with increased education of the public, more and more houses may be built of hempcrete blocks, particularly in areas prone to bushfires. Photo of a bushfire near our former property in Donnybrook